


trollhunter

by ArtissR0pita



Series: one... or two? [3]
Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: AU, Reveal Fic, absolutely terrible and doesn't really make sense but that's okay, haha not really, jim and claire are Both the trollhunter and that causes problems, kinda goes along with the idea of my other fic, maybe i'll flesh it out a little more and pretend it's good, this is basically a giant shitpost, this is stupid i'm sorry in advance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-30 03:53:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15743715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtissR0pita/pseuds/ArtissR0pita
Summary: This is Jim's second chance. Claire is the Trollhunter now, but for some reason, the amulet still reacts to him. To both of them.





	trollhunter

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this like a week ago when i was still trying to start Her Becoming (which i swear is way better than whatever this monstrosity is go read that) the idea just kinda stuck with me
> 
> anyway jim and claire are Good Pals and i support them

Claire was thrown across the room, amulet tumbling through the air, her landing against the wall with an audible  _ thump _ . She slid the rest of the way to the floor, bruised and trying (failing) to catch her breath. “Claire!” Jim cried (was that Jim? She could barely see or hear). Her fuzzy vision caught the glint of light on the amulet. She reached one arm out, dazed, as she tried to force the incantation out of her mouth.

 

“For the glory of Merlin, daylight is mine to command!” 

 

Her voice had been much softer than that, but okay…. She could still feel the amulet’s tug, feel herself drawn to its magic. 

 

Jim, on the other hand, was astounded. It had been so long since he’d said the incantation (this  _ wasn’t even his timeline _ ), but it had… still worked? The power of the amulet was still so familiar, and he knew and recognised it instantly. The familiar warmth almost made him giddy, but then he realised something was wrong. His fingers were still wrapped around the amulet from where he had picked it up after Claire dropped it. But Claire wasn’t on the floor anymore---

 

Stunned, the armour materialised and forced itself upon its Trollhunter- both of them, as one. It had recognised both commands, and so it accepted both of them. Or, now, one of them. Jim opened his eyes, searching for Claire. But, she was nowhere to be found. How could he have lost her in the split second it took to say the magical phrase?

 

“Jim? Jim!” Claire’s voice, but where was she? He moved to respond, voice catching in his throat. His hair was falling in his face, and he pushed the blue stripe away irritably. Wait. Blue? His hair was completely brown.

 

Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!! were staring in astonishment at him. But at that moment, he remembered what was going on, that they were still in danger. Daylight flared in his hand at his silent command, him gripping it firmly as he prepared his mind for the battle still at hand. He widened his stance, eyes narrowing. As he readied himself, he suddenly fumbled. His mouth moved of its own accord, “Wait, I-I didn’t summon Daylight, what’s going on, I’m not ready, Blinky, what’s going on, something’s not right-”. That was definitely Claire’s voice. 

 

Jim readjusted his hold on the shining sword, hoping to reassure both himself and Claire (wherever she was). As the Forge reactivated, Jim concentrated on timing his jumps, avoiding the obstacles that came his way. “Don’t worry, Claire, I got this,” he said, leaping over a swinging blade. “I’ll protect you.” His brown and blue hair fell back in his face, a clatter at his feet alerting him that something was amiss. When he glanced down, he saw one of Claire’s barrettes. Where did that come from? (And why was his hair still blue? Surely that had been a trick of the light, right?) He turned his gaze upward, but saw nothing. Then, he involuntarily knelt back down, picking up the shiny hair clip. 

 

“My barrette!” Claire cried. She deftly pulled her bangs back and clipped it again, Daylight dissolving as she fixed her hair. Nodding firmly, she looked around the Hero’s Forge again. She had heard Jim a second ago- where could he have gone? She instinctively reached for her sword again, glad to feel its reassuring weight in her hand. Until she realised she had flipped it to her right hand- wait, what?, she was left-handed, and then she was ducking, lifting the sword to block something she hadn’t even seen coming, she almost turned to look behind her, but her feet were carrying her across the Forge, leaping over the tilting platforms with ease (she had never been able to do this before, why did it feel so easy?). 

 

She had barely paused to catch a breath, her mind still racing, holding Daylight in her left hand again, then bringing it up to block another flying object. She tried to protest (who was controlling her body?) but then Jim spoke up again. “Leave it to me, Claire. You focus on figuring out what’s going on, I’ve got the sword.”

 

“Jim? Wait, what do you mean? This is supposed to be my job, I’m supposed to do  _ this- _ ” she was cut off by a smooth slide across the floor to avoid a rolling death trap. 

 

She bounced back to her feet, sword at the ready. “I mean,” Jim started (where was he, exactly? Claire’s gut felt heavy. Was he really…?) “I have more experience using a sword, I had a great teacher, wow,” he grunted as he braced Daylight against the ground so as to vault over to the next platform. “I need you to work out a plan. You’re the strategist, after all.” It barely sounded like he was paying attention, only focusing on the Hero’s Forge.

 

So she was the strategist, huh? She could work with that. She’d always loved puzzles and patterns; maybe she could figure out something for the Forge. (Although it was kind of hard to focus when Jim kept glancing all around the glowing arena.) She could feel a rush of determination flow through her as she and Jim lowered back into a defensive stance, ready to take on the Forge together.

 

(Part of her still wanted to look for him, even though she was almost positive she knew where he was. There was only one logical [although still magical] solution.) She and Jim were racing across platforms, jumping and sliding, Jim’s claim of being good with a sword proving true (could he teach her?), but then they were scrabbling for purchase as they hit one of the tilting platforms wrong, slipping down the edge. Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!! were standing nervously at the entrance to the Forge, one of Blinky’s hands still resting on one of the switches, indicating he had deactivated it all. The Trollhunter fell through the air (wasn’t this how this whole mess started?), but somehow they rolled through the air, just managing to land on their feet. Daylight dissolved in Claire’s hand. 

“What’s the problem?” Jim asked, catching his breath. Blinky nervously gestured in two different directions, once at him and Claire, the other upwards, towards the balcony. As he followed their gaze, Jim saw Draal and Vendel staring at them with alarm.

 

Jim was suddenly extremely glad for the armour. 

 

“Who taught you to use a sword, Trollhunter?” Draal shouted. Claire winced. He was very loud, and she was very scared. 

 

Jim laughed nervously. “You’d never believe me if I told you.” How cryptic. Blinky ran over to the two (one) of them, wringing his four hands in a tangle. AAARRRGGHH!!! blinked at them, clear signs of worry on his hairy face. 

 

“Madame Claire! James! Er… um, Trollhunter. Well, it appears we may have some rather troubling problems at hand. As you can certainly see. By Deya’s grace, what have you done?”

 

  
  
  


As they were all walking back to Blinky’s library, Claire and Jim had settled enough that they shed the armour, dissolving in a flash of light. The two kids rubbed their aching heads, neither making eye contact. Blinky was chattering at them both, but his words went through one ear and out the other. Claire didn’t have an answer for this, and honestly she didn’t expect Jim to, either. To all three’s surprise, he did.

 

“I… I need to tell you guys something. I think I at least know part of why that.. happened.” He worried his lower lip with his teeth, leaning against one of the many bookshelves. Everyone stared at him.

 

“Well, go on, James. We’d all like to hear your explanation,” Blinky said, flapping his lower arm at him to continue.

 

“Yes, we most certainly would.” A loud tap on the stone floor alerted the trollhunters to Vendel’s presence. Oh, and of course, he was accompanied by Draal. Jim hung his head.

 

Claire stepped next to AAARRRGGHH!!!, clutching the amulet tightly. Jim wavered for a second, then looked away. He scuffed his shoe against the ground. Everyone waited in tense silence.

 

“Well? Out with it, boy!” Draal barked. Jim jumped. He ruffled his hair, then smoothed it back down. He let out a heavy exhale.

 

“Okay. Okay, yeah, um, right. So,” he sighed again. His shoulders dropped. One hand went to his pocket unconsciously, as if reaching for something. A quick glance at Claire’s hand showed what. “Um. Well, I’m going to preface this by saying that, uh, I’m not a changeling, and I’m definitely human. No worries there.” His gaze rested on Blinky for a second, then to Draal. He stared at his shoes again. “Maybe you should, uh, sit down?” He smiled weakly. “What I’m going to say isn’t going to sound very believable.”

 

The others exchanged brief looks. Blinky sat down, as did Claire, while the others remained standing. Jim shook out his fingers again.

 

“Gosh, where do I begin?” He chewed his lip again. “Okay, right, the whole…. thing in the Forge. We can start there,” he spoke mostly to himself there. Pushing himself away from the wall, Jim started pacing. “I’m not completely sure if this is exactly why, it doesn’t really make sense for sure, but.” At everyone’s exasperated sighs and glares, Jim spat it out.

 

“I’m the Trollhunter.”

 

Chairs scraped back, books toppled over, and outraged snarls filled his ears. Jim backpedalled. “I mean! Not in this timeline. Shoot. That’s where I should have started. I’m not… I’m not from this timeline. In this world, Claire’s the Trollhunter. In the one I’m from, I was.” He wouldn’t look at Claire. 

 

Draal glowered at him, then at the rest of the group. “Were we always fated to have a human for a Trollhunter?” He spat. Jim almost missed the look of sadness that fell over the burly troll’s face. It was instantly replaced with solemn fury. 

 

Vendel beat his staff on the floor again. “Explain yourself, James, son of Barbara.” He thrust the staff in the human’s face. 

 

“What do you want me to say?” His blue eyes were full of panic. “I told you- I’m from another timeline. Unkar gave me a second chance.”

 

It was Blinky’s turn. “Unkar? As in, the Unfortunate? Impossible, he has been dead for a very long time. Spirits don’t have such an ability anyway! AAARRRGGHH!!!, a gaggletack, if you would.” 

 

Jim leapt away. “I told you! I’m not a changeling! Come on, Blinky, don’t you believe me? I mean, I don’t really understand it, but, I wouldn’t make up something like this. Especially since I’ve never actually talked to Unkar before, so I don’t really know anything about him besides, you know, the torn apart bit.” He looked away. “I promise I’m telling the truth. Why else would the amulet react to me?” He gazed longingly at Merlin’s amulet, still clutched firmly by Claire.

 

“Okay, say you’re telling the truth. Why would the amulet combine us? Shouldn’t it have picked a hunter?” Claire wrapped her arms around her chest.  _ Shouldn’t it have picked her? _

 

Jim shrugged. “I guess we said the incantation at the same time? Maybe it chose both of us, because it didn’t know. It should’ve chosen you, though. You… You’re the Trollhunter, Claire. I’m not, anymore.”

 

“What your world like?” AAARRRGGHH!!! asked. JIm looked up, mouth a tiny ‘o’. 

 

“Um. It’s about the same, I guess. Except, you know, I’m the Trollhunter. Also, it’s March now.” His eyes widened. “Oh my gosh, that means I can give you all the information I have! Maybe you won’t make the same mistakes I did!” He laughed, punching the air. A moment after, his face fell. “We’re really going to have to get to work on that bridge,” he muttered.  _ I’m sorry, Strickler. I didn’t want to give you away, but… what you’re doing is wrong.  _

 

“Bridge?” Claire asked, still holding the amulet to her chest. Jim made a small, noncommittal noise.

 

  
Draal was still stuck on a different topic. “Wait, so who  _ did _ train you in the art of the blade?”

**Author's Note:**

> tbh this fic makes no sense i'm sorry it lost a lot of coherence
> 
> while this fic sprouted from the same idea as Her Becoming (unbecoming au and trollhunter!claire) it is Not in the same canon. this is not going to happen in HB unless y'all really want it ig
> 
> um anyway thanks for reading if you want, leave some kudos or a comment, i love getting feedback
> 
> thanks so much see ya later


End file.
